NBD and Research

Like I said earlier in my previous post, during my internship,  i’ve been placed in NBD (New Business Department) department. Our job is always related to the client of our company. If there’s client who would like to use our service, then we’re going to be the one who meet the client.

Before we meet our client, we have to make a research first for our client, therefore, we will know about their background and what happened so far with their company. In the end, we could find the best solution to solve their problem.  Every week, we can have 4-5 clients who would like to use our service, therefore I need to do the research about them, before my supervisor meets them.

Here are some of my research that I’ve done during my internship:

My research for INCA Holdings Pte Ltd. 

My research for Expedia.com who would like to open their branch in Indonesia.

For me, doing research is something that I really like. It makes me understand more about the clients and also helps me more to build a proposal for them, because that's what I need to do as an NBD officer, Research and Proposal. 

Thank you for reading.

Cheers,

Della Patricia Mandiro

LUCT

The Power of Brainstorming

Hi Everyone,

During my internship,  i’ve been placed in NBD (New Business Department) department. Our job is always related to the client of our company. If there’s client who would like to use our service, then we’re going to be the one who meet the client.

After we found out what the client wants, then we’re going to build a proposal. To build proposal that we offer to our clients is not easy, because we need to be as creative as we can to get their attention, so, at the end they will choose our idea.

In my team, we always have short meeting and brainstorming to discuss about how to make that proposal, because there always a huge difference  from one clients to others.

Now, I’d like to share from my experience, the secrets for successful brainstorming!

1.    There are no limits to your idea, because every idea is a good idea.

       Let your idea flows and find what inspires you. Share it! It might help the

       team to find the best idea to build the proposal.

2.    Be Creative. Think outside the box. What the client wants today is the most creative idea that we have.

3.    Take a note. Write all the ideas that we have during the meeting, therefore we could choose the best idea at the end of the meeting.

4.    Have Fun. The key of creativity is humor. Let it happen, because sometimes you will find your sparkling idea from that.

5.    Be visual. Always giving your best idea, but in real terms, actionable.

Hope it will help you to running a successful brainstorming!

Thank you for reading, until my next post.

Cheers,

Della Patricia Mandiro

LUCT

Job Interview Using Skype

Hello Everyone,

Now, I'd like to share about my experience having an interview via Skype. 

After 3 days waiting for respond from Fortune PR,  finally they asked me to have an interview with them. But the thing is I still have to finish my semester, therefore i couldn't go back to my country to have an interview with them. Then, they asked me to have an interview via Skype. 

As we all know that Skype is a communications program that can be downloaded free of charge. This internet-based programs are capable of presenting high-quality sound and picture. A big companies abroad and international scale always using Skype to save more cost and time.

Interview via skype only requires equipment, such as a computer or laptop, webcam, headset, and the speed of internet work. So, according to my experience, here's what you need to consider:

1.     Suitable Background. Choose a white or clean wall with the best lighting, so the employer does not get distracted during the interview.

2.     Choose the formal outfit, for example: Black jacket. Do not dress up the upper half of your body while keeping the lower half and wearing short pants or pajama. In case you need to get something, you don't want the employer to see your pajama or short pants right?

3.     This is how I find interesting to have an interview via Skype, you can put notes around your webcam in case you forget about what you wanna say, but make sure you still maintain your eye contact.

4.     Maintain eye contact. Rather than look at the person on the screen, try to look directly into the webcam!

5.     Don't forget to make sure you have strong signals on your computer and check the wireless network too. 

Hope this tips will help you to get the best experience for having a job interview using Skype.

Thank you for reading, until my next post.

Cheers,

Della Patricia Mandiro

LUCT

Me and Fortune PR

Hello Everyone, 

The Public Relations 393 (Professional Practice) module required me to carry out a 2 months term internship in a company that I’ve chosen. I had the opportunity of being placed in one of the best Public Relations consultant in Indonesia, Fortune PR. I was placed in the division of NBD (New Business Development).

Fortune PR is a full-service public relations consultancy based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is a subsidiary of PT Fortune Indonesia Tbk and a partner in Worldcom Public Relations Group. It was started in 1984 by Miranty Abidin (President Director) and has partnered many  private companies, government and non-governmental institutions in building reputation, public trust, as well as brand recognition.

During my first week, all of my colleagues were really helpful. They taught me how to handle the project and built a proposal. They also asked me to help them giving some ideas for an event. In Fortune PR, they treat an intern as their team which means that an intern also their part of family. Therefore, they will give the intern opportunity to make a proposal project for their clients.

Although i just realized that the real PR world is like a jet coaster, everything is going to fast, more clients and more proposal. For example, in one day, we can have 4 – 5 clients and the deadline for the proposal is around 1 week. But for me, Doing my Internship in Fortune PR was one of the best experience I’ve ever had. From Interview via Skype, brain storming for proposals, built a proposal and share our room with Board of Directors. I also gain my knowledge about PR industry and improved my language skills, increase my networks, and more sensitive to analyze something that could become a problem. This experiences will help me to prepare my self to face the real industry of PR.

Thank you for reading, until my next post. 

Cheers,

Della Patricia Mandiro

LUCT

Week 5 recap

A bit late, but this is a recap of last week from March 7 to 11.

Okay again, quite a filling week, from meeting room discussions, interviews, traveling, transcripts and and analyzing.

Starting with the meeting room discussion from the beginning of the week, where m superiors, including the strategy planner, brand director where there in the meeting. I was in there with the summary of what we gathered from the interviews in the month of February, and i gave my full input, as i was following on every interview we had done. I was there telling the group about our findings in terms of what themes were consistent, the opinions they said on what the future of their company is and how each person, from the top level management to the staff. Thursday 10th March, i was part of the interview with the MD (Managing Director) of their company. After i recapped on the summary, we drew up on a whiteboard, what it is we can improve upon, so it is like a draft for their re-branding recommendation. It was about a 2 and a half hour back and forth, between me and superiors among each other, throwing up ideas, and seeing where we can focus on in terms of what is feasible. I cannot tell details of what needs changing, as it is P & C.

During the week, i would also help on other accounts, kind of ad hoc work for me, so i help out in other discussions of ground activation programs for a client wanting to do something for Mother's Day, so a lot of ideation and negotiating with what is feasible within the clients budget.

During the week, i noticed a growth of my responsibilities and the amount of verbal input i provide, my superiors would discuss with me on potential strategy plans for LBS re-branding, what kind of awards they should strive for, and what CSR program would be best.

All in all a great week, and today, starting another one. till next time.

Faridzul Fauzi LUCT

PR and Journalism

Working in a publishing company means it’s always busy as magazines have to be printed on time and with no errors at all. Because Mongoose is a publishing company I’ve had the pleasure of not only working in the Pr division but also the Editorial where I’ve written various articles in the Newsweek; had to write about the best universities in America, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. It was challenging as I could not just copy and paste from the websites online but had to structure the articles in a way which would be interesting to the readers. I also had the chance to write for Arrivals which is a booklet given to foreigners at the airport in Malaysia. In this I wrote about the best hotels in KL, Best apartments and so on so forth. But the really exciting experience I had in the Editorial was when I was asked to go to a movie preview of Gulliver’s Travels; this was very exciting as only press was invited. The free pop corn and drinks made me for a second think of leaving the PR department lol! After the movie I had to write approximately 150 words of what I actually thought about the movie, what “I” thought, made me feel like a real journalist. These past few days I’ve learnt that there is mutual dependence between PR and Journalism. But hey this week I’m back to PR, and there’s an event (World Press Photo) coming up soon and it’s so hectic doing all the media invites and RSVPs. But I’ll talk about that on the next post! Bye :)

Time Out Malaysia For Kids: PR Plan

The objective of this PR plan was to publicize or make known the new edition of Time Out Malaysia for Kids. This magazine is new in Malaysia and the first of its kind. The main objective of the magazine is to inform the public in Malaysia that there are various wondrous locations where kids can go out and have fun like; Sabah’s Turtle Island National Park, KL Bird park, butterfly Farm just to name a few, other than cinemas, bowling clubs and fast food outlets. The magazine also features restaurants which serve child friendly meals which make it convenient for families to go out together and have fun. The magazine is basically trying to change the Malaysian mentality of children being more seen than heard.

I had to find appropriate media channels in which the Malaysian community was more focused in, considering that the company PR department had no budget. I found it difficult because at school when we had to come up with a PR plan, we would simply list billboards, and TV adverts, events and so forth. But this was the real world you couldn’t just come up with a list of tactics that were not realistic. While doing the PR plan I got frustrated as my supervisor declined most of my ideas because every idea I had involved a budget and most of the company events had been done as it is the end of the year. She advised me to try use the media as much as possible as the company had already established a relationship with various media outlets. So here are some of the ideas I came up with;

The best way to get Time Out Kids Magazine out there is to make it appealing to blogers, because if blogers believe it is good they will defiantly write about it. Or maybe we can start our own blog about Time Out Kids magazine which would contain articles about kid’s activities.

We could also start a fan club or online magazine for Time Out Kids magazine. In it we could give people limited information so that they feel the need to buy the magazine itself.

There could be a press release about the magazine in the newspaper to inform the public about it including bloggers. To make it more interesting there could be a treasure hunt map or quiz in the newspaper. The clues of the treasure hunt would be in the Time Out kids Magazine so this would encourage parents to buy the magazine.

There could be a different design of snakes and ladders whereas the squares on the game represent ‘Things To See’ in the magazine. The catch is in the newspaper the places to see will only have the first three letters of the place thus persuading the buyer of the newspaper to buy the Time Out Kids magazine if there want to know where to have fun with their family.

I loved doing the plan as it was assigned to me individually. It made me feel responsible and capable, though there were disappointments here and there. I learnt that disappointments should not stop you as an intern. We have to open our minds in order to learn more and humbly accept we are wrong when we are wrong, because we are just babies in the industry. And oh check out our website www.mongooseasia.com to learn more about Time Out Malaysia; it will get you to the best restaurants, resorts, spas, shopping malls and there’s plenty of prizes to be won.

Overall I learnt that Public Relations cannot survive without the media. The media is very vital for so many tactics in PR plans. PR has to develop and sustain its relationship with the media for good coverage and this is exactly what I’ve learnt in university. And as we’ve been overcome by the new era media like social network sites, PR should use them to the maximum as they are cost efficient. Blogs are by far the best mode of communication as people share their experiences and recommend products to others. And right now mum bloggers who have liked Time Out Malaysia For Kids have recommended it to friends and family on their blogs. Job well done for me :)